BETWEEN WORLDS, the latest film from director Maria Pulera (Falsely Accused), is an offbeat thriller about a down-on-his-luck trucker named Joe (Nicolas Cage), who meets Julie (Franka Potente), a spiritually gifted woman, after her daughter Billie (Penelope Mitchell) falls into a coma. However, the spirit of Joe’s dead wife has come back in the form of a possessed Billie in the hopes of settling unfinished business between all those who come between her and Joe.

For the upcoming release of the film, I had the chance to speak with actor Garrett Clayton, who plays Billie’s boyfriend, Mike, where we discussed everything from his character in the film, the afterlife, and his love for slasher films.

Nightmarish Conjurings: For those who may not be familiar with your role as Mike in BETWEEN WORLDS, can you tell them a little bit about him?

Garrett Clayton: Mike is a down to earth man who rides in a crotch racket gang with his friends. He comes from a rough past and yes, he is a drug dealer, but his intentions aren’t to hurt people. I can say although flawed, he protects the people he loves and cares about to the best of his ability.

Nightmarish Conjurings: What was it about this character that attracted you to the role?

GC: I think from my more clean cut rolls in the past this offers a different character that I haven’t been given the chance to do.

Nightmarish Conjurings: BETWEEN WORLDS isn’t your first foray into the horror/thriller sphere as you’ve also done films such as 2016’s DON’T HANG UP (which I loved) and WELCOME TO WILLITS. Have you always been a fan of this genre? Is there a type of horror movie you haven’t done yet that you would love to do?

GC: Thank you, I had a great time making DON’T HANG UP, although the hurdles of making that film with its aggressive production schedule was quite grueling. I am a huge fan of horror and sci-fi. The only sub-genre that I would love to do is a slasher film. Slasher films have always been my favorite to watch, so I would love to be a part of one.

Nightmarish Conjurings: This movie deals with the supernatural in terms of the afterlife and spirits. Where do you stand on that topic? Do you believe that there are ghosts?

GC: I do believe there is more out there. I won’t put a term to what that is but I respect that there is much more in this universe that we don’t fully understand. I do believe in an afterlife, to the full extent of whatever that is, I don’t know.

Nightmarish Conjurings: What was it like working so closely with the rest of the cast and were there any challenges you faced during filming?

GC: I loved working with this cast! I got to spend a great deal of time with Franka [Potente], Hopper [Penn], Nic [Cage], Penelope [Mitchell] and luckily we all had fun with the complexities of this movie. I wouldn’t say this was a horribly challenging process in terms of physicality of my character but I would say fleshing out this character was the most challenging for me.

Nightmarish Conjurings: Last but not least, are there any projects you are working on that we should be keeping our eyes out for in the future?

GC: YES! The extended run of UNAUTHORIZED STRANGER THINGS MUSICAL in February at The Rockwell in Los Feliz and my next film PEEL staring Emile Hirsch.

Check out BETWEEN WORLDS when it is released in theaters and On Demand December 21, 2018.